Thursday, May 23, 2019

In the early thirties the luxury and sports cars Bugatti made weren't selling due to the depression. Ettore Bugatti turned his attentions to a light railcar concept powered by a development of the Type 41 Royale engine used in multiples- either 2 or 4 engines depending in the model. The prototype was first operated in 1933 and soon led to more units put into service. Although they worked well, they were not economical to run and the last car was retired in 1958.

This publicity leaflet for Ettore Bugatti's Light Railway Car was shown at the 1937 Exposition Internationale in Paris.

This older lathe was for sale at a local swapmeet a few weeks ago. The seller was convinced the maker was WM. M with plants in Preston and Galt (now combined into the city of Cambridge, Ontario) as is cast into the headstock. Searching a bit online I can find the Preston Woodworking company, and a Preston Machinery ad- selling an 18" lathe by Stevens,JJ Stevens was another maker of machine tools based in Galt, in business from about 1910 till at least the end of WW2. Info from Vintagemachinery.org. I can find nothing on an company named WM.M. or alternately, WM.M. Preston.

Monday, May 20, 2019

Picking up one row at a time, towed behind a tractor and the steel rod "shaker belt" driven by PTO, it must date to the fifties? I can't find a makers ID tag on it but it looks just a little too "finished" to be home made.